AVG Studies Teens and Parents in Digital Diaries Stage 5

AVG, a leading provider of Internet and online security, recently added another stage to its Digital Diaries project with stage 5, the 14-17 year-old teen age group. The study found that parents can be just as sneaky as teens, with 60% of American parents admitting to accessing their teens Facebook accounts without their knowledge.

The study also shows that 75% of American parents connect with their teens on social networks, which is a much higher percent than in other countries. Parents are very concerned about their teens handling the digital coming of age. Nearly half of parents worldwide found that schools were not effective in teaching digital safety.

Most parents feel that their teens are doing a fairly good job of dealing with their online activity. However parents biggest concerns are teen safety and how online behavior may affect future career prospects. Most parents trust their teens when it comes to pornography and sexting.

“Our latest research will hopefully facilitate conversations with parents, educators and others around the most effective strategies to monitor youth activity and teach them how to express themselves safely and thoughtfully online,” Tony Anscombe, senior evangelist for AVG Technologies, continued. “We’re all learning as we go. We can’t parent today like we were raised, because the Internet simply wasn’t available or as accessible when we were young.”